The Sacramento river near the old pumping station. Photo by J. Simonsen. Used with permission. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Aerial view of Sacramento, California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Here’s Proof that a Comet Destroyed Ancient Civilisation at Gobekli Tepe
*Video - *Graham Hancock reviews his past work about Gobekli Tepe and shares some of the research from the new book. The post Here’s Proof that a Comet Destroyed Ancient Civilisation at Gobekli Tepe appeared first on Waking Times.
Thorne Dreyer : RAG RADIO PODCASTS | Interviews with Burt Neuborne, Rev. Jim Rigby, Jesse Sublett, Barbara Hines, and Professor Dumpster
On these podcasts we discuss the first amendment, religion in a secular society, organized crime in ’60s Austin, immigrant rights and family detention, and sustainability through performance art! Interviews by Thorne Dreyer | The Rag Blog | May 22, 2014 … finish reading Thorne Dreyer : *RAG RADIO PODCASTS* | Interviews with Burt Neuborne, Rev. Jim Rigby, Jesse Sublett, Barbara Hines, and Professor Dumpster
Protesters converge on Nestlé bottling plants in Sacramento and LA/Photo essay of protest
Protesters converge on Nestlé bottling plants in Sacramento and LA by Dan Bacher The outrage over the bottling of California water by Nestlé, Walmart and other big corporations during a record drought has become viral on social media and national and international media websites over the past couple of months. On May 20, people from across the state converged on two Nestlé
Stoke Politics After the Election
The good people of Stoke-on-Trent didn't take my advice. *Sigh*. If only more people listened to what I had to say, a lot of bother could be avoided. But on the day our party got a thumping, Stokies gave local Labour a kicking too. Rather than letting their local council vote be determined by their national choice, there was unprecedented ticket splitting, gifting us one of those lovely interpenetration of opposites politics so often throws up. They demonstrated an increasing sophistication on the part of the electorate, but did so by voting in Tories, a motley crew of independents... more »
The Movie For Tonight Is 'The Winter War'
From Wikipedia: The Winter War (original title in Finnish: Talvisota) is a 1989 Finnish war film directed by Pekka Parikka, based on The Winter War, a novel by Antti Tuuri. It tells the story of a Finnish infantry regiment "JR 23", which consists almost solely of men from Southern Ostrobothnia, focusing mainly on a platoon of reservists from Kauhava. The film was released in Finland and Sweden on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Winter War. *WNU Editor*: Hat Tip to OFS for this movie link.
The Senate shoe drops on Fast Track (and TPP)
Washingtonpost.com caption: *President Barack Obama wins a victory in the Senate on re-writing the rules of international trade.* *by Ken* If you've been following Gaius Publius' coverage of the administration's all-out effort to ram through Congress so-called Fast Track authority, as a prelude to getting the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (and who knows what all else, for up to six years, whoever is president) passed on an up-or-down vote, won't be surprised by tonight's "breaking news." The Senate has passed the bill and pushed back on the assorted amendments that would hav... more »
Amazing Sacred Geometry Found in Art From the Middle Ages
*Video - * Sacred geometry is found in many famous works of art of this period, revealing an awakening of the human mind. The post Amazing Sacred Geometry Found in Art From the Middle Ages appeared first on Waking Times.
2015 Week 21 Education Odds and Ends
*“We believe that this recognition has come about because of the “blatant” move by corporations to take over public education and the creation of these charter schools who are limiting the rights of teachers and the type of education that our children are receiving.” — Juan Orozco* Professor Antonia Darder this weekend in Los Angeles Dr. John Fernandez writes: Roosevelt High School and the Boyle Heights community have a long and proud history of fighting for social justice, from the election of Ed Roybal to the Los Angeles City Council in 1949, to the fight against Prop.187, and ... more »
Activists Prepare for 4th Global March Against Monsanto
*Derrick Broze* - What are your thoughts on Genetically Engineered foods? What do you think about Monsanto? Will you march? The post Activists Prepare for 4th Global March Against Monsanto appeared first on Waking Times.
Hugh Sykes: A Twitter History
As you're probably aware, one of my favourite BBC reporters is BBC veteran - and 'voice of the BBC' - Hugh Sykes. His latest tweets take you right to the heart of the BBC's mindset. (He's presently banging on about immigration, re-tweeting various pro-immigration points). In fact, Hugh's tweets should probably form an integral part of any A-level English/Politics syllabus. Pupils ought to be encouraged to work out where old Hugh's - and many of his BBC colleagues - sympathies lie, politically-speaking. (A rather easy question, I'd say. Please check them out for yourselves thoug... more »
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, "Whisper To Me"
Liquid Mind, "Whisper To Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpfrRz-jcS8
truth is a lonely place
9/11 - The Anatomy of a Great Deception
Harper Chooses To Remain in the Closet
The coward has again repeated that he will not participate in a national English language leader's debate. It appears he really, really likes the closet. Now we get to see if the media consortium or the other national leaders have any courage left.
Musical Interlude: Seal, “Crazy”
Seal, “Crazy” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A-hqZf7xQs
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Peculiar spiral galaxy Arp 78 is found within the boundaries of the head strong constellation Aries, some 100 million light-years beyond the stars and nebulae of our Milky Way galaxy. Also known as NGC 772, the island universe is over 100 thousand light-years across and sports a single prominent outer spiral arm in this detailed cosmic portrait. *Click image for larger size.* Its brightest companion galaxy, compact NGC 770, is toward the upper right of the larger spiral. NGC 770's fuzzy, elliptical appearance contrasts nicely with a spiky foreground Milky Way star in matching yellow... more »
Chet Raymo, "The One And The Many"
*"The One And The Many"* by Chet Raymo "Near the end of Mary McCarthy's "The Company She Keeps," the protagonist - Meg Sargent, a stand-in for Mary - and her therapist steer away from talking at length about her childhood, "for it suggested...that the universe is mechanical, utterly predictable, frozen, and this in its own way is quite as terrible as the notion that the universe is chaotic." And there you have it, really, the balancing act each of us must maintain if we are to stay sane - call it, if I may use a physical metaphor, the liquid state, somewhere between the immobility ... more »
The Poet: David Whyte, "Waking"
*"Waking"* "Get up from your bed, go out from your house, follow the path you know so well, so well that you now see nothing and hear nothing unless something can cry loudly to you, and for you it seems even then no cry is louder than yours, and in your own darkness cries have gone unheard as long as you can remember. These are hard paths we tread. but they are green and lined with leaf mould, and we must love their contours as we love the body branching with its veins and tunnels of dark earth. I know that sometimes your body is hard like a stone on a path that storms break over, embed...more »
Untitled
*Member of Neville family gets a racist receipt at Huck Finn's in French Quarter; employee 'terminated immediately' ~N.O. Advocate * *Federal Scientists Link Dolphin Die-offs To BP Spill ~Eileen Fleming, WWNO* *Katrina at Ten, New Orleans Today (And Forever?): Ravaged ~Cain Burdeau*
Mark Twain, “On The Damned Human Race”
*“On The Damned Human Race”* by Mark Twain “I have been studying the traits and dispositions of the lower animals (so-called), and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me. For it obliges me to renounce my allegiance to the Darwinian theory of the Ascent of Man from the Lower Animals; since it now seems plain to me that the theory ought to be vacated in favor of a new and truer one, this new and truer one to be named the Descent of Man from the Higher Animals. In proceeding toward this unpleasant conclusion I have not guessed or ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. Thanks for stopping by.
"Sharing Grief: Opening to Receive Comfort"
*"Sharing Grief: Opening to Receive Comfort"* by The DailyOM "Grief is part of the human experience, and sharing our vulnerability helps create truly close bonds. When we experience something that causes us to feel shock and sadness, we may feel the urge to withdraw from life. It may seem like remaining withdrawn will keep us protected from the world, but during these times it is important to reach out to those trusted and precious people who care about us the most. Even with our best information and reasoning, we never know when someone else’s experience or perspective can give us... more »
“The Opposite Of Loneliness"
* “The Opposite Of Loneliness"* by joyin “The opposite of loneliness, it’s not togetherness. It is intimacy.” - Richard Bach, "The Bridge Across Forever" "When I read that line about intimacy in the book, it stood out for me. I’ve seen many couples who, despite being together all their lives, lack intimacy. I’ve heard about husbands and wives who barely speak to each other except to exchange tactical how-to’s throughout the day. Loneliness prevails in many households, and it’s not for lack of physical proximity between bodies. It’s for lack of intimate connections between hearts an... more »
"For Nothing Is Fixed..."
"For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out." - James Baldwin
"Not Much Mental Distance..."
“A man who has blown all his options can't afford the luxury of changing his ways. He has to capitalize on whatever he has left, and he can't afford to admit— no matter how often he's reminded of it— that every day of his life takes him farther and farther down a blind alley. Very few toads in this world are Prince Charmings in disguise. Most are simply toads, and they are going to stay that way. Toads don't make laws or change any basic structures, but one or two rooty insights can work powerful changes in the way they get through life. A toad who believes he got a raw deal before ... more »
This is How Banks Create AND Destroy Money
*Robert Bonomo* - Just how interested are the banks in stopping wars and reigning in the federal budget deficit? The post This is How Banks Create AND Destroy Money appeared first on Waking Times.
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- May 22, 2015
*Joana Cook, The Telegraph*: *Will Isil destroy the Palmyra ruins?* *Big Question: Will Isil actually destroy the ancient Palmyra ruins and if they do what will be the consequences? * *On May 21, fighters from Isil seized control of Palmyra, a city recorded by Unesco as “one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world.”* *When I last saw Palmyra in 2008, it was midafternoon and a sandstorm was moving in – a wall of sand slowly crept towards us, darkening the sky. Today, a more sinister storm has seemingly descended on the site.* *Isil has set its aims on Palmyra n... more »
World News Briefs -- May 22, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters:** Suicide bomber kills 21 at Saudi Shi'ite mosque, Islamic State claims attack* *A suicide bomber killed 21 worshippers on Friday in a packed Shi'ite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, residents and the health minister said, the first attack in the kingdom to be claimed by Islamic State militants.It was one of the deadliest assaults in recent years in the largest Gulf Arab country, where sectarian tensions have been frayed by nearly two months of Saudi-led air strikes on Shi'ite Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.More than 150 people were praying when the huge explosio... more »
The Economy: "The Coming Crash: Trapped between the Fed and Congress"
*"The Coming Crash:* *Trapped between the Fed and Congress"* By Mike Krauss "Despite the never ending assurances of the Federal Reserve that happy days are almost here again- the same tune the Fed has sung for nearly seven long years- there is mounting evidence that the U.S. is headed for another economic crash. It will be more terrible than the last. The Washington Post headlined, "U.S. economic growth slows to 0.2 percent, grinding nearly to a halt." Fox News reported the real story of unemployment: the official, good news government figure of 5.4 percent is a fiction, achieved b... more »
"Arguing That You Don’t Care About The Right To Privacy Because You Have Nothing To Hide Is No Different Than Saying You Don’t Care About Free Speech Because You Have Nothing To Say"
*"Arguing That You Don’t Care About The Right To Privacy Because * *You Have Nothing To Hide Is No Different Than Saying You * *Don’t Care About Free Speech Because You Have Nothing To Say"* by WashingtonsBlog "Most Americans value privacy and oppose mass surveillance. The minority who don’t – and who think spying is okay because they have “nothing to hide” – are grossly misinformed (and don’t know that spying is meant to crush dissent and consolidate power… not stop terrorism). Edward Snowden noted today in a Q&A on Reddit: "Some might say “I don’t care if they violate my privacy; ... more »
How a high fat ketogenic diet prevents diabetic ketoacidosis – somatostatin
Karl Petren 1868-1927 *How a high fat ketogenic diet prevents diabetic ketoacidosis – somatostatin* It is pretty well-accepted now that nutritional ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis are quite different things, but it is not yet understood how nutritional ketosis prevents diabetic ketoacidosis. That it does so was clear in 1923; both Newbugh and Marsh[1] and Karl Petren[2] reported in that year from their respective diabetes clinics that a diet high in fat, restricted in protein, and very low in carbohydrate, fed to diabetic patients, including (certainly in the case of Newbur... more »
Dave McGowan- Say a little prayer...
From the day I began this blog Dave McGowan (uberfave) has been a constant in the sidebar of the blog. He became known to me via his appearances on Meria- the mouth that roars I can't say with any certainty how many years ago I first heard him talking up his writings? It likely had to be around the time he published his first book -Derailing Democracy So that was at least 13 years ago??? I own and have read all of his books. Yes, there are more books then the more recently published "Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon" A book, I actually have two copies of. One purchased from Dave ... more »
In Oregon, score a victory for gun sanity
*The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence pays tribute to the people who made this victory for gun sanity possible.* *"Make no mistake: what we accomplished in Oregon is monumental. We delivered a crushing blow to the corporate gun lobby, and we’re picking up steam and building momentum the likes of which this issue has not seen in decades!."* *-- Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence* *by Ken* We see all around us such widespread examples of the power of gun *in*-sanity that it's nice to be able to celebrate a victory for sanity on the subject, and ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On The War Against The Islamic State
Displaced Sunnis, who fled the violence in the city of Ramadi, arrive at the outskirts of Baghdad, April 17, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer *Michael Martinez, CNN:* *Iraq: How did we get here?* *(CNN)Iraq roils in a maelstrom: ISIS now controls Ramadi, a new prime minister is in charge, Shiite-Sunni bloodshed flows, and a U.S.-led coalition is back, this time executing airstrikes in Iraq.* *The saga of Iraq is, as an analyst put it, "a rather straightforward but sad story" since the U.S. military left the country at the end of 2011, only to find itself returning in a smaller way.* *The fa... more »
Bob Simmons : Elevators reunion: (I Done Got) Levitation at Psych Fest 2015
Like Icarus, the 13th Floor Elevators, a band that should have a special alcove in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, flew too close to the sun. Text and photos by Bob Simmons | The Rag Blog | May … finish reading Bob Simmons : Elevators reunion: (I Done Got) Levitation at Psych Fest 2015
Harlem of the West
Among the more worrying trends out of San Francisco in recent years—and the greatest tarnish to the city’s reputation for diversity—is the displacement of longtime residents of color. It’s not only Latinos being pushed out of the Mission District: Census numbers reveal a staggering 35.7 percent decrease in San Francisco's black population between 1990 and 2010. 'The Last Black Man in San Francisco' Searches for Home in a Fast-Changing City. Written and directed by Talbot, the film follows Fails—also a co-writer—and his best friend, played by Prentice Sanders. Neither quite at eas... more »
'Missile Defense' is Destabilizing
This banner arrived in the mail today from the printing company. The layout design was done by Ellen Davidson and Tarak Kauff from Veterans for Peace. Thanks to both of them for their good help. The Global Network will carry this with us to Kyoto, Japan from July 29-Aug 2 for our 23rd annual space organizing conference that is being hosted by peace activists from across the Kyoto Prefecture. The US recently deployed a 'missile defense' radar in Kyoto Prefecture and the Ukawa village has been resisting the deployment for some time. During the conference we will take a side trip... more »
Back to normal
"I'll get you, Butler!" Given that astonishing pre-election *Question Time, *with its audience that gave a genuine foretaste of how the public would actually vote in the election - and which seemed so different to other episodes of *Question Time*, where the audience tend to sound like SWP activists on heat -... ...and given last week's *Question Time*, where a somewhat battered-by-events Nigel Farage received a fair hearing... ...it was perhaps reasonable to hope that BBC One's *Question Time *had finally turned a corner *vis a vis* its perennially strange, left-wing-sounding audi... more »
What is ALEC?
An Atlanta TV station just aired one of the best takedowns of the secretive nature of ALEC we've ever seen: Posted by Media Matters for America on Friday, May 22, 2015
ALERT: Turbulent Times Show TONIGHT At 8PM CDT (9PM EDT) On Blogtalk Radio POSTPONED...
I have been informed by Whitewraithe that she is unavailable for the show tonight... She is having very bad lower back pain and is right now laid up and immobile.... Sometimes circumstances do happen, and again my apologies to everyone.. We will try again for a show very soon.... More to come NTS *A few quick notes: Whitewraithe has decided to pull the plug on her "Pragmatic Witness" site as of July 1st.... It is understandable knowing the severe hardship that she has endured..... I am hoping to keep the archives at her site intact and I will ask her, if she is willing, to per... more »
The Islamic State Continues Its Offensive In Iraq
*Wall Street Journal:* *Sunni Tribes in Iraq Divided Over Battle Against Islamic State* *Some view with suspicion the Shiite militias deployed by government to Anbar province * *BAGHDAD—While some of his Sunni kinsmen in Anbar province set about working with Shiite militias on a strategy to oust Islamic State, Emad al-Jumaili was making a very different kind of plan.* *The tribal elder was busy preparing to guard his home and family from those same militias.* *“I have always said I would much prefer to be killed by a Sunni terrorist organization than a Shiite terrorist organi... more »
May 22: For a change of pace...
...I'm going to start by arguing with one of the student columnists, Isabelle Agnew. She's a good writer and an intelligent columnist; so she's worth arguing with. 1. Just about all dress codes have something to do with sexuality. That's why most schools do not allow female teachers to wear bikinis in the classroom. That's why male teachers do not wear artificial erections in their pants. 2. Laws have to be broken to modernize - as Martin Luther King did? Sometimes. Hitler broke rules, too. And Harper does it all the time. Breaking a rule does not make the rule wrong. 3. Do the rul... more »
Stop Demonizing the Poor and Immigrants
On May 21st, more than 600 people marched and rallied in Portland against proposed cuts to General Assistance for asylum seekers and refugees in Maine. Our right-wing Gov. Paul LePage continues to demonize the poor and immigrants in Maine - blaming them for our economic problems which is pure nonsense. Corporations in Maine get hundreds of millions of dollars each year in state tax breaks but sadly few ever mention that fact. Corporate welfare makes support for the poor and immigrants look like peanuts.
Germany and Japan: Two countries chafing at the bit of post WWII occupation
*Japanese protestors speaking out against American military occupation* One of the most popular topics I've covered in this blog is the *continued US military occupation of both Germany and Japan. *This military occupation has been going on for nearly 70 years, since the end of WWII. Since both both Germany and Japan were historical economic rivals to the west, particularly the US, one could almost conclude that WWII was at least partially conducted to neutralize the hegemonic and economic threat that both countries presented. The US profited enormously from rebuilding the countri... more »
Chickens Come Home to Roost
Clashes are reported in central Kiev, Ukraine where crowds of protesters are rallying against the economic crisis and the soaring cost of private loans. It was only a matter of time before the people turned on the US-NATO backed regime in Kiev which has been slashing public services and putting all their bailout funds from the US and EU into war on the people of eastern Ukraine. There is no way that Kiev can maintain the war against their own citizens near the Russian border. Maybe this is what Washington-Berlin-Paris-Brussels have come to understand, thus we see them backing a... more »
Suspicious Minds
Fair dos to last night's *Newsnight *for leading with the hacking scandal at Mirror Group newspapers. Given the wall-to-wall coverage the BBC gave the phone hacking scandal at the *News of the World*, owned by the BBC's main UK rival, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, you would have expected the BBC to 'go big' on this story as well - especially as the hacking scandal at Trinity Mirror is now apparently *much* bigger than the one at the *NOTW...* ...and yet, overall, the BBC *hasn't* given the Mirror scandal anything like the saturation coverage it gave the scandal at the Murdoch Empir... more »
First the UK, then the world!
According to the UK Press Gazette, the BBC now claims a weekly global audience of 308 million people, "after adding in Facebook, Youtube and 'entertainment'" to the way it calculates its figures. The corporation aims to reach 500 million people by 2022. The BBC said in a press release that, for the first time, television (148m a week) overtook radio (133m a week). Online attracted 55m a week. It said the World Service’s audience has increased by 10 per cent to 210m, with BBC World Service English recording a weekly reach of 52m, up 25 per cent. Fran Unsworth, director of the BBC ... more »
Senior BBC producer, of UKIP: "Hopefully it's the last we've heard of this lot"
Louise Greenwood, senior producer for BBC News, is another BBC journalist who likes to tweet: Her views on the BBC licence fee and on the free market aren't exactly surprising for a senior producer at the BBC Business Unit: If the BBC licence fee is top sliced to pay for rural broadband isn't that an admission of free market failure in another key industry? — Louise Greenwood (@LouiseGreenwoo1) May 12, 2015 And neither for that matter is her utter contempt for UKIP: BBC News - Farage "Happier than he's been in years" - so are we ! Hopefully it's the last we've heard of this lot. ... more »
French President Francois Hollande Is Calling For A Syrian Political Solution
French President Francois Hollande attends the ''Business and Climate Summit 2015'' at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, May 20, 2015. Reuters/Philippe Wojazer *Reuters:* *Hollande calls for new push on Syria political settlement after Palmyra* *French President Francois Hollande called for a new international push for a peace deal in Syria on Friday, saying the fall of Palmyra to Islamic State showed President Bashar al-Assad was gravely weakened."Once again we call for the preparation of a new Geneva," he said after an EU summit in Riga, referring to earlier conferences ... more »
Insiders Give An Account On The Fall Of The Ancient Syrian City Of Palmyra To Islamic State Forces
*New York Times*:* Frantic Message as Palmyra, Syria, Fell: ‘We’re Finished’* *BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian Army soldier had long served in Palmyra, but he was on leave when he heard that Islamic State militants had attacked a village northeast of the desert city, killing dozens of his comrades. He sent frantic text messages, trying to reach them. No one answered.* *He shared his anguish last week in a series of texts as he slowly pieced together bits of the story from survivors of the massacre. Soldiers told him they had run out of ammunition. One officer radioed to headquarters,... more »
Islamic State Takes Credit For Today's Deadly Saudi Shiite Mosque Bombing That Killed 21 Worshippers
*Reuters*: *Suicide bomber kills 21 at Saudi Shi'ite mosque, Islamic State claims attack* *A suicide bomber killed 21 worshippers on Friday in a packed Shi'ite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, residents and the health minister said, the first attack in the kingdom to be claimed by Islamic State militants.* *It was one of the deadliest assaults in recent years in the largest Gulf Arab country, where sectarian tensions have been frayed by nearly two months of Saudi-led air strikes on Shi'ite Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.* *More than 150 people were praying when the huge explos... more »
Amnesty International: 'War Crimes' Are Widespread In Ukraine
*Voice of America:* *Amnesty: Torture of POWs is Rife in Ukraine Conflict * *Rights group Amnesty International says it has gathered "overwhelming evidence" that Ukrainian forces, pro-government militias, and anti-government separatists have tortured or mistreated prisoners, describing it as "widespread" and "frequent."* *Amnesty released a report Friday detailing information from interviews with former captives of both the separatists and government forces.* *“In the shadow of eastern Ukraine’s still-smouldering conflict, our on-the-ground research shows that accounts of detainee... more »
Militias Are Returning To Afghanistan
Afghan militias and policemen gather as they discuss during a battle at the Chardara district of Kunduz province, May 3, 2015. Reuters/Stringer *Reuters*: *Stretched Afghan army falls back on militias to help defend Kunduz* *The Afghan government has enlisted hundreds of militia fighters controlled by local commanders to battle Taliban militants near the northern city of Kunduz, officials said, underlining how the armed forces are struggling to tackle the insurgency alone.* *The recruitment of unofficial armed groups in Kunduz is on a larger scale than previous attempts by the gov... more »
Colombia's Truce Has Just Collapsed
*The Guardian*: *Farc ends ceasefire after air raid kills 26 leftist rebels in Colombia attack* *Rebel leaders say they will continue peace talks to end 50-year conflict despite government-ordered retaliatory raids on guerrilla camps* *Colombia’s largest rebel group has ended a unilateral ceasefire after 26 guerrillas were killed in a government air raid, but the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, said they would continue peace talks aimed at ending the country’s 50-year internal conflict.* *“We deplore the joint attack of the air force, the army and the police ...a... more »
Democratic Senators Who Need to Be Lobbyists in 2017
*Each of these Democrats need to be turned into lobbyists at the earliest opportunity. For three of them, that's January 2017 (click to enlarge and share). * The Senate held its final cloture vote on Fast Track, and after a lot of wheeling and dealing over amendments — whose will get a vote and whose won't — the Democrats above voted to help grease the next NAFTA treaty's passage into law. Pro-TPP writer Alex Rogers, in the National Journal (Ex-Im means "Export-Import"; my emphasis throughout): *Ex-Im Bank Deal Gets Trade Bill Moving* *Last-minute floor trading on reauthorizing t... more »
"ISIS of Saudi Arabia" claims responsibility for suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia
Yup, that's an alleged new group of ISIS affiliates if your keeping track. Here is the latest: CBC *A group purporting to be a newly-established Saudi affiliate* of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria group says it is behind Friday's attack on Shia worshippers in the kingdom. In a statement distributed on ISIS-linked Twitter feeds, *a group purporting to be the ISIS branch in Saudi Arabia* issued the claim. It could not be independently confirmed if the new group has operational links to ISIS *The group's statement carried a logo in Arabic referring to itself as the "Najd Province"... more »
Think Homelessness Can’t be Eradicated? These Communities Did It
*Alex Pietrowski* - What can we learn about solving homelessness from these communities? The post Think Homelessness Can’t be Eradicated? These Communities Did It appeared first on Waking Times.
Far-reaching features of physical theories are not sociological questions
Backreaction has reviewed a book on the "philosophy of string theory" written by a trained physicist and philosopher Richard Dawid who may appear as a guest blogger here at some point. Many of the statements sound reasonable – perhaps because they have a kind of a boringly neutral flavor. But somewhere in the middle, a reader must be shocked by this sentence – whose content is then repeated many times: Look at the arguments [in favor of string theory] that he raises: The *No Alternatives Argument* and the *Unexpected Explanatory Coherence* are explicitly sociological. Oh, really? ... more »
World News Briefs -- May 22, 2015
*Reuters*: *Islamic State expands its 'state'* *Almost a year after Islamic State's shock capture of Mosul, Iraq's second city, the black flags of the jihadis have been raised over Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province to the west of Baghdad, seat of Iraq’s increasingly theoretical central government.* *Nobody talks of Mosul or recapturing it from Islamic State. It is a forgotten city. Now it is all about the fall of Ramadi, the neighbouring ancient Syrian city of Palmyra in central Syria and beyond - the Libyan city of Sirte, hometown of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.* *MIDDLE ... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 22, 2015
A Chinese navy vessel fires its cannon during joint exercises with the Russian navy in the East China Sea, May 24, 2014. *Li Bo, VOA*: *Are Chinese/Russian Military Exercises an Effort to Offset US Primacy? * *China and Russia conducted joint naval exercises this week in the Mediterranean Sea — a sign, some security experts say, that the two countries are stepping up defense cooperation to offset U.S. military primacy.* *The Russian Defense Ministry said a total of 10 warships from the Russian Navy and China’s People's Liberation Army Navy took part in the week-long exercises. T... more »
THE DUMBNESS OF THE WHALE: Leading pundits just wanna have fun!
*FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015Part 5—People, what’s in a word:* Did an employee of the New England Patriots let some air out of some footballs? We can’t give you the answer to that. The NFL’s official Wells report says this: “more probable than not.” If that actually happened, did the team’s wonderfully handsome star quarterback actually know about it? We can’t answer that question either. The Wells report is *highly* speculative concerning that second point. That said, we don’t critique NFL employees or handsome star quarterbacks at this site. We critique the work of the American press. ... more »
Pentagon's Credibility On The Line With Their Explanation On The Fall Of Ramadi
*Time:** Pentagon Rhetoric About Ramadi’s Fall Risks U.S. Credibility* *When generals start playing with syntax, hold on to your wallets. “The ISF (Iraqi Security Forces) was not driven out of Ramadi,” Army General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday. “They drove out of Ramadi.”* *That grammatical shift from the passive to the active voice—Dempsey boasts a master’s degree in literature from Duke, after all—highlights just how badly Iraq’s U.S.-backed war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is now going.* *“We saw this movie—it was calle... more »
Altered Genes, Twisted Truths: Author Issues Challenge To Monsanto
RINF, Countercurrents, Global Research https://twitter.com/colin_todhunter In a challenge delivered to Monsanto’s headquarters on May 20, 2015, US public interest attorney Steven Druker calls on that corporation to find any inaccurate statements of fact in his new book: Altered Genes, Twisted Truth – How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public. The thoroughly documented and referenced book exposes the substantial risks of genetically engineered foods and the multiple misrepresentations that h... more »
Very good, in fact
We had a nice little storm with about a fifth of an inch of rain, and air temperatures did not fall below 60F. A quick inspection showed that the slugs have finally shown up (the big snails, usually not a problem, had been filling in for them). I braided my hair to keep it out of my eyes for stoop labor and grabbed my stick (to lean on when bending over) and a basket and hit the beds before too much daylight might chase the little nasties out of sight. They are easy to find on top of the leaves early in the morning, and you can tell which crops they prefer at the moment and give th... more »
U.S. General Dempsey: Iraqi Forces Not Driven From Ramadi, They Drove Out of Ramadi
*Military.com/Stars and Stripes:* *Dempsey Says Iraqis Weren't Driven Out of Ramadi, They Drove* *America’s top military officer says Iraqi government forces weren’t driven out of Ramadi. They drove.Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Wednesday on a trip to Brussels that Iraqi security forces commanders made a tactical decision to withdraw from Ramadi last weekend as Islamic State fighters broke through defenses and swarmed through the city, capital of Anbar province.A sandstorm was reported in the area at the time of the Islamic State as... more »
New Arms Race In The South China Sea
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *CNBC:* *Asia defense spending: New arms race in South China Sea* *Indonesia alone is buying 20 frigates from the Netherlands to upgrade its naval capabilities. * *The Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan are beefing up their military in the face of increasingly bold incursions in the region by China. But most of that spending is not going to weapons makers in the United States. * *China has over recent years declared increasing levels of sovereignty over the South China Sea, even parts of it that are far from the Chinese ... more »
Transpicuous News Weekend Report from Sunday May 17, 2015
Here is the Archive Video of Transpicuous News Weekend Report from Sunday May 17, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vYOx2loEoE News Links for May 17 Mandatory vaccination bill introduced in Congress http://personalliberty.com/mandatory-vaccination-bill-introduced-in-congress/ TOKYO JAPAN — DORMANT FOR 800 YEARS — MT. HAKONE COULD SOON ERUPT http://dutchsinse.com/5142015-45-miles-from-tokyo-japan-dormant-for-800-years-mt-hakone-could-soon-erupt/ Brazil Cancels $2 Billion Contract with Israeli Security Firm for 2016 Olympics http://www.earth-heal.com/news/news/33-palestine/2... more »
ECFA Really so awesome?
[image: Coast_April_23] *Sympathetic magic as public policy: if we make the smokestacks cute, they won't be harmful.* I had a few minutes today so I thought I'd check out the trade figures for China pre and post ECFA, which I posted on several years ago. Then I said of the 2010-11 figures: I had Excel put in the trend line on this quick-n-dirty chart. It's obvious even to the Mark I eyeball that the numbers for 2010 and 2011 and 2012 lie on the trend line (in fact slightly below where we would have been had the trend for 2004-07 continued). If ECFA were really that awesome what we ... more »
Is A Revolution In Military Drone Technology About To Happen?
The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works hangar in Palmdale, California. Wikipedia *Loren Thompson, Forbes*: *Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works Is Cooking Up A Revolution In Drone Technology* *In the years since the 9-11 attacks, unmanned aircraft — “drones” — have become the signature combat system of America’s global war against terrorists. According to the Air Force, its fleet of Predator and Reaper unmanned aircraft flew an average of 1000 hours per day last year over places like Iraq and Afghanistan, generating full-motion video and other reconnaissance that has become crucial to coalition... more »
China Trying To Jam U.S. MilitDrones
(Click to Enlarge) CREDIT: Brown Bird DesignScientific American *Washington Free Beacon*: *Chinese Military Using Jamming Against U.S. Drones* *Global Hawk targeted over disputed South China Sea islands* *China tried to electronically jam U.S. drone flights over the South China Sea in a bid to thwart spying on disputed island military construction, U.S. officials said.* *Global Hawk long-range surveillance drones were targeted by the jamming in at least one incident near the disputed Spratly Islands, where China is building military facilities on Fiery Cross Reef.* *Disclosure... more »
U.S. Issues Warning To China To Not Challenge U.S. Aerial Patrols Over The South China Sea
May 11, 2015: An aerial photo taken though a glass window of a Philippine military plane shows alleged on-going land reclamation by China on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines. (REUTERS/RITCHIE B. TONGO) *FOX News: **US warns China not to challenge military flights over South China Sea* *The U.S. warned China Thursday against confronting U.S. aerial patrols over the South China Sea days after a verbal dispute between a Chinese military dispatcher and a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft. * *The Los Angeles Times reported that the... more »
Canada Threatens Scientists: SO SCREAM LOUDER!!!!
We are being told: Every form of "Freedom of Speech" is being taken away from us. More importantly, that freedom to speak clearly and to openly discuss concerns, ideas, theories, and truly relevant facts, is being ripped away from even those who are fully qualified in their fields. This isn't just about Wyoming banning Science discussions that go against the rhetoric being pushed by local government agencies, this is about even the professionals being gagged. This isn't new. .... But is becoming more and more public as those who've been stifled are lashing out publicly in frus... more »
5 Spiritual Perspectives Backed By Science That Will Shift Your Mindset
*Amateo Ra* - Every once in a while you have a realization or an “ah ha” moment so grand, it completely shakes your entire perspective of reality to the core. The post 5 Spiritual Perspectives Backed By Science That Will Shift Your Mindset appeared first on Waking Times.
Chinese Military: The World Wide Web Is An Ideological ‘Battleground’
LA officers take part in the first full session of the “All-Military Internet Security and Informatization Expert Consultation Commission” on May 21, 2015. China media Project *The Diplomat*: *Chinese Military Declares the Internet an Ideological ‘Battleground’* *Could the PLA’s idea of an online “ideological struggle” lead to a cyber war?* *China’s military newspaper, the People’s Liberation Army Daily, warned on Wednesday that China must “resolutely protect ideological and political security on the invisible battleground of cyberspace.” The call to arms against “Western hostile... more »
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES VIDEO: Future of Iraq
PRESENTATION DOES NOT START UNTIL 23 MIN MARK
World Bank: Gaza's Unemployment Rate Is The Highest In The World. Economy On The Verge Of Collapse
Palestinian pedestrians and a motorcyclist commute along a road between ruins of houses, which witnesses said were damaged or destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip September 7, 2014.REUTERS / Mohammed Salem *Reuters*: *Gaza's economy "on verge of collapse" says World Bank* ** Gaza's economic output contracted 15 percent in 2014* ** Unemployment the highest in the world* ** World Bank warns of collapse, threat of disease* *JERUSALEM, May 22 (Reuters) - Gaza's economy is in a worse state than any other in the world, with unemployment at... more »
Pipeline Spill Dumps 105,000 Gallons of Oil on California’s Coastline
*Steve Horn* - A state of emergency has been declared after a pipeline spill pollutes this scenic coastline. The post Pipeline Spill Dumps 105,000 Gallons of Oil on California’s Coastline appeared first on Waking Times.
Stealing From Medicare To Pay For TPP-- Unhealthy For Republicans... Deadly For Democrats
The vote of TPP is looming in the House and Obama has Jim Clyburn (D-SC) making all kind of handsome offers to Members of the Congressional Black Caucus to guarantee a big vote score from that circle. You won't find caucus members with integrity, like Barbara Lee and Donna Edwards, playing footsie with Clyburn on this, of course. Would the Republicans suddenly agree to fund summer jobs over trade? Lord knows the President is great at bargaining in a lopsided fashion (2010 Obama: I’ll give up $4 trillion in tax revenue for one year of unemployment benefits). Several pro-labor Bla... more »
Iran Wants A 24 Day Notice Before Nuclear Inspectors Visit
Photo: Foreign and Commonwealth Office / Flickr *YNet News*: *Iran Seeks 24 Days' Notice Before Nuclear Inspectors Visit* *France's foreign minister says Iran wants 24 days’ notice before international inspectors could visit its nuclear sites.* *France's foreign minister on Wednesday said that Iran wants 24 days’ notice before international inspectors could visit its nuclear sites in the event of a suspected violation of a deal with world powers over its nuclear program, reported The Associated Press (AP).* *Laurent Fabius unveiled details about the state of talks between six world... more »
Economic News , Data and Views ( May 22 , 2015 ) - Riga Summit a quiet flop .... German Fin Min offers pearls today ( GR may need parallel currency , GR may need to issue IOUs ) , Merkel tells Tsipras to forget political deal hail mary - work with technical team of Troika , GR says labor reforms and pensions red lines still in place , GR debt rises in yields after quiet flop Summit
Tweets..... fred walton retweeted *zerohedge* @zerohedge · 7m7 minutes ago Greece May Need To Issue IOUs Schaeuble Says After Latest Failure To Reach A Deal http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-2 2/greece-may-need-issue-ious-schaeuble-says-after-latest-failure-reach-deal … fred walton retweeted *Ian Traynor* @traynorbrussels · 6h6 hours ago #RigaSummit last one was a disaster (vilnius). this one just depressing. an exhibition of fear weakness timidity fred walton retweeted *Graeme Wearden* @graemewearden · 5h5 hours ago Greece says deal can come in 10 days, but Merkel w...more »
Why You Should Think Twice About Taking Antidepressants
*Video - *Author of "Deadly Medicines and Organised Crime" discusses how the pharmaceutical industry has been cheating the public by not truthfully divulging the possible after-effects of antidepressants. The post Why You Should Think Twice About Taking Antidepressants appeared first on Waking Times.
Finding California oil spill's cause could take months
Finding California oil spill's cause could take months Published: Friday, May 22, 2015 at 3:30 a.m.Last Modified: Friday, May 22, 2015 at 3:05 a.m. GOLETA, Calif. (AP) — The operator of a broken oil pipeline that fouled a California shoreline says it could be weeks or even months before investigators are able to determine what caused the break and subsequent spill. Crews have yet to excavate the broken piece of pipeline, which under the law must be done in the presence of federal regulators and a third party, officials with Plains All American Pipeline LP said at a Thursday night ne... more »
The Man Who Would Be King
http://www.theguardian.com/ Yesterday, the broadcast consortium announced that all the party leaders -- except Stephen Harper -- had agreed to attend a debate in French and a debate in English. Harper, you see, only plays by the rules he makes. And sometimes he breaks those. Think of his fixed election dates. Such "imperial vanity," Michael Harris writes, may eventually sink Harper: A politician can get away with a lot — until he starts rubbing the public’s face in his indifference to the rules mere mortals must obey. With Harper, ... more »
Copycat Chili's Skillet Queso
Saying we are obsessed with Skillet Queso in our house, would be an understatement. It is one of the only things that every single person in our family loves. Normally I am fighting one of the kids to eat or my husband is eating something that he doesn't love, but not with this. It is delicious and full of flavor. We were seriously eating at Chili's once a week before we discovered the amazing combination of cheese and Hormel No Bean Chili. I didn't even know No Bean Chili existed until a couple of years ago and now I always keep it on hand to satisfy our queso cravings. This recip... more »
Free Trade 48, WTO DG Azevedo in Manila
Yesterday, I attended a Roundtable Discussion with the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Roberto Azevedo. Main organizer was the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), but the one that did Secretariat work was the T/A Trade Advisory and Trade Lawyers Group. Venue was the ADB so key ADB officials like ADB President Nakao and VPs were there. Below I will repost tweets and RTs made by Trade Lawyers @TradeLawyersPH. I am also posting some photos during the cocktails after the forum. Thanks to Gene Gregorio, Trade Lawyers for the photos. Not one of them from my ... more »
Sexual problems in the Canadian Forces
So the recent unforunate news this the completely and utterly unsurprising finding by former SCC Justice Marie Deschamps that grossly inappropriate sexual behaviour mostly toward women is "endemic" in the Canadian Forces. Let's define endemic (OED): 1. (of a disease or condition) regularly found among particular people or in a certain area. "complacency is endemic in industry today"
WARNING! Underground Fetuses! Call Before You Dig!
Flags warning of possible underground fetuses are popping up all over. If you drive along Springfield Road today, you may notice a swath of blue and pink flags along the side of the road. The 10,000 flags are a silent protest by the Kelowna Right to Life Society, to ask for an abortion law in Canada. Each one of the pink and blue flags is meant to represent 10 unborn children, matching the group's estimate of 100,000 abortions each year in Canada. This amused me. I googled and found that underground fetus flags can be had for as little as 29¢ each, which means that the Dominionis... more »
Love Will Replace Your Fear And Love Again Will Reign Upon The Land...... M.N. Hopkins
*Found no organizations, no institutions, but find each other and help others to find themSelves. Then, a great healing will begin and spread one to the other. This will continue over the course of centuries until one day, again reason and faith will be the masters of Mankind. Then Mankind will once again be the masters of themselves and no longer will the ego tyrants rule.* *Start this day and fear not, for love will replace your fear and love will reign again upon the Land.* *M.N. Hopkins*
Another Denied Felony Charge Befalls "Poor" Di(a)mon(d) Jim/JP Morgan Chase (Truth About Ethiopian Forced Displacement/ Repression) Why U.S. Citizens Believe Almost Anything They Are Told (Not by Scientists or Mathematicians, Of Course) Validated by Your Stuff?
[Just watched "Independent Lens" this morning on my local public TV station, which covered in an hour-and-a-half program ("1971"), made in 2015, the 1971 break-in at an FBI office and theft of thousands of files, showing how the FBI had violated citizens' rights for years during its COINTELPRO operations (including urging the suicide of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), and its exposure by the
Blackmail and the Medical Vaccine Exemption by Barrbara Joe Fisher
*Blackmail and the Medical Vaccine Exemption* by Barbara Joe Fisher Vaccine Impact, 22 May 2015 *Almost No Medical Condition Qualifies for Medical Vaccine Exemption * Vaccine risks for you or your child can range from zero to 100 percent depending upon the genes you were born with; your microbiome DNA; the environment you live in; your age and health at the time of vaccination, and the type and how many vaccines you get. 1 2 Vaccines are not safe or effective for everyone because we are not all the same and we do not all respond the same way to pharmaceutical products like ... more »
Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 5/22/15”
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up 5/22/15”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "The bankers have done it again. They committed an enormous global crime and only paid a fine. JP Morgan, Barclays, Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland and UBS will pay $5.8 billion in penalties for rigging the $5.3 trillion a day currency market. Once again, nobody will go to jail, even though all these big banks plead guilty to criminal charges for rigging the Forex market. UBS received immunity from criminal prosecution because it blew the whistle on the crime. I did not know a bank can be a criminal and the humans... more »
March Against Monsanto 23 May 2015 Worldwide - Coming To A CIty Near You
March Against Monsanto 2015 Official Press Release by Nick Meyer *Media alert: The 2015 March Against Monsanto is set to launch worldwide on May 23.* *For immediate release: * WORLDWIDE – On May 23, 2015, hundreds of thousands of concerned individuals will gather across 38 countries and 428 cities to join in peaceful protest against the Monsanto Company as a part of the March Against Monsanto grassroots campaign. This movement seeks to raise awareness to the dangers surrounding Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds and cancer-linked herbicide Roundup. The campaign comes as the de... more »
this year's garden-ette
This year's crop: two tomato plants, basil, beans, and strawberries. Beans and strawberries are both new for us. I love that we're still planting our little garden, with no thought to expansion, just trying a couple of new things each year. And since we should all be boycotting Driscoll's, we are growing resistance berries. *¡Si, Se Puede!* Plus, bonus Tala, with her favourite Orbee.
why are ontario public school teachers on strike?
Public school teachers in our area are on strike, part of a series of rolling strikes hitting different regions throughout Ontario. If the province doesn't back down before the beginning of the school year in September, we can expect all Ontario public school teachers to strike. The roots of this struggle stretch back to 2012, when the provincial government stripped teachers of their right to collective bargaining, unilaterally imposed a contract, then repealed the law taking away their union rights. My partner and I spoke with some striking teachers last week, and this is what the... more »
New Gardasil Horror Story from the UK by Bryan Hubbard
LotteNew Gardasil Horror Story from the UK by Bryan Hubbard *[SaneVax: Author Bryan Hubbard tells the story of a young girl from the United Kingdom who’s life changed dramatically after the administration of Gardasil. A huge thanks to Bryan and the staff of What Doctors Don’t Tell You for giving SaneVax permission to share the following article which will appear in their June issue.]* Lotte Amit has not lived a proper life for two years since she had the HPV vaccine against cervical cancer. Tragically, her story is one of a growing number that suggests there is something terribly ... more »
Hezbollah Sees No End To Syria War
Lebanon's Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem gestures as he speaks during an interview with Reuters at his office in Beirut's suburbs, April 7, 2014. Reuters/ Issam Kobeisi *Reuters*: *Hezbollah sees no end to Syria war, Mideast at risk of partition* *Lebanon's Hezbollah says the Middle East is at risk of partition and sees no end to the war in Syria, where it is fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad against insurgents supported by his regional enemies.* *Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy leader of the Iranian-backed group, said the insurgents would be unable to topple th... more »
Top Iran General: Tel Aviv Will Be Destroyed By 80,000 Hezbollah Rockets If Israel Attacks Iran
*Times of Israel:** Iran: If Israel attacks, Hezbollah will ‘destroy Tel Aviv’* *Tehran’s proxy Hezbollah has more than 80,000 rockets ready to target Israel, says supreme leader’s military adviserA senior Iranian military official warned on Thursday that any Israeli attack would unleash a firestorm of missiles on its cities fired by the Islamic Republic’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon. The Shiite militia has more than 80,000 rockets ready to fire at Tel Aviv and Haifa, said General Yahya Rahim Safavi, military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. * *WNU Edi... more »
Israel Fears That The Obama Administration Will Not Put An End To U.S. Policy Of Hiding Israel's Nuclear 'Secrets'
Dimona nuclear reactor circa 1960s. National Security Archive/Flash 90 *Eli Lake, Bloomberg:* *Israel Fears Obama Will Stop Hiding Its Nuclear 'Secret'* *The Israeli government is worried the Obama administration will allow a U.N. conference this week to adopt a resolution that could compel Israel to acknowledge its nuclear arsenal.* *At issue is a proposal at the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference that would empower the U.N. secretary general to organize a conference to pursue a Middle East free of nukes and other weapons of mass destruction.* *Israel is one of th... more »
How the Rothschilds Control America
*Video - *Watch the late George Carlin, American actor, comedian and author, shares his thoughts about how the Rothschilds control America. The post How the Rothschilds Control America appeared first on Waking Times.
Smoking and Living Green
This month we've been focusing on clean air. Our first Change The World Wednesday challenge of May asked participants to stop smoking and/or not allow smoking in their homes. So I wondered if "greenies" actually ban smoking from their lives. Here are the results of this month's survey: [image: Smoking and Living Green] [image: Smoking and Living Green] [image: Smoking and Living Green] Comments - I became a smoker when I was about 19 (my hubby at that time was too) but when I became pregnant at 20, I stopped cold turkey. He didn't smoke in the house but did think ... more »
Musical Interlude: Simon & Garfunkel, “The Boxer”
Simon & Garfunkel, “The Boxer” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3LFML_pxlY
Blast from the Past: Formosa entry from 1838 Atlas
From The London General Gazetteer; Or, Compendious Geographical Dictionary by Richard Brookes, 1838. _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!
Common Sense in Philadelphia
*This sacrifice of common sense is the certain badge which distinguishes slavery from freedom; for when men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.* Thomas Paine On Tuesday, May 19th voters in Philadelphia sent a message to billionaire venture philanthropists who were trying to buy the office of mayor of Philadelphia to promote their privatization of public schools agenda. By the day of the primary election for mayor and other offices they had invested $7 million in advertising for the candidate they thought would ca... more »
Brooklyn Waterfront Watch: Stacking coffee as high as an elephant's eye -- on the eve of Prohibition
*"Coffee in Brooklyn," c1920 (click to enlarge). On the flipside of the photo there's a link to Prohibition! Read on.* *by Ken* Of course you know all about "Postcard Thursday" from the *Inside the Apple* team of Michelle and James Nevius, right? Well, they're not the only ones regularly sending out great archival pictures. The Brooklyn Historical Society dips into its overflowing archives for a "Photo of the Week," and for some reason I can't stop looking at this week's, titled "Coffee in Brooklyn." I don't know, maybe it's the coffee-hoisting getup of the gent on the right, fro... more »
Remarks from State: Taiwan: A Vital Partner in Asia
*Lunch at a Thai restaurant on the road.* Taiwan: A Vital Partner in East Asia Remarks Susan Thornton Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Remarks at the Brookings Institution Washington, DC May 21, 2015 As Prepared for Delivery Thank you, Jeff, for having me here today and for that wonderful introduction. I really appreciate all your support, advice and insight and it's appropriate, of course, to have you here, since much of our good work with Taiwan is built on the foundation you laid.... (READ MORE) Thank you all for coming to an event during the ... more »
The Olympics of Returning to Work After a Baby
I had no idea what to expect when I became a parent (who does?), but I was somehow even more baffled by the balancing act/sh@t show involved in transitioning back to work after parental leave. I’m sure my experience isn’t unique, and I don’t think I was any worse off than other parents or carers, […]
Raven
Of the Law Societies of Upper Canada and Nunavut
Why is UK productivity flatlining? Start by blaming flatlining wages
Chris tries to get answers from one of our "captains of industry"... SOURCE BBC NEWS: Osborne says low productivity key economic challenge In his first major speech since his return to the Treasury, Mr Osborne told the CBI annual dinner that boosting productivity was vital to sustaining rises in living standards. He identified increased productivity as one of the government's central
A Brutal Assessment From NBC Reporter Richard Engel On President Obama's Strategy Against The Islamic State
*WNU Editor*: A brutal analysis .... and I agree with it 100%.
Iran Has No Nuclear Bomb
Mohammad Javad Zarif (Minister of Foreign Affairs) criticizes the focus on limiting Iran's "breakout" potential -- the amount of time it would take it to develop a nuclear weapon -- and claims that Iran has long been capable of making a nuclear bomb if it wanted to....but it hasn't. Israel has more than 200 nuclear weapons and refuses to sign the UN's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which Iran has signed. Sadly no western governments ever complain about Israel's bombs.
No Aboriginals on Jury Roll? No Problem!
R. *v.*Kokopenace, 2015 SCC 28: The accused, an Aboriginal man from a First Nation reserve, was charged with second degree murder and convicted of manslaughter after a trial by judge and jury. Prior to sentencing, the accused's counsel learned that there may have been problems with the inclusion of Aboriginal on‑reserve residents on the jury roll for the District of Kenora, which raised questions about the representativeness of the jury in the accused's case. The trial judge refused to adjourn the proceedings to hear a mistrial application, as he considered him... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 21, 2015
*Martin Chulov, The Guardian*: *Ramadi and Palmyra: 'Whoever didn’t make it out was killed later on by Isis'* *Terror group faced little resistance from local forces in Iraq and Syria, prompting re-evaluations across a region that had sensed it might be in retreat* *Islamic State fighters are celebrating their second major conquest in a week in Syria and Iraq as they pick through the ruins of the historic city of Palmyra.* *The sudden advance of the militants into the UN heritage site in central Syria resulted in the rout of a national army, the exodus of refugees and a fresh pu... more »
MENA Report ( May 22 , 2015 ) -- Iraq / syria Regional War and ISIS in focus ......Yemen Airstrikes have resumed by GCC Coalition in Yemen ...... Iran Nuclear Talks Status....
Links...... *US Official Admits Iraq Reeling From ISIS Offensive* *Exiled Yemen Govt: No Talks Without Surrender**US Rushing Anti-Tank Missiles to Iraq for Ramadi Fight* *Iraqi Official: No Foreign Troops Needed for ISIS War* *ISIS Seizes Palmyra as Central Syria Gains Mount* Fall of Ramadi: 30 Car Bombs, 10 as Big as Oklahoma City Blast, US Official Says Saddam Nephew Among 151 Killed in Iraq Kurds Advance Against ISIS in Northeastern Syria Iran's Khamenei Rules Out Interviews With Nuclear Scientists Tweets..... Yemen... *Rasha Mohamed* @RashaMoh2 8h 8 hours ago As #... more »
Support the Workers
I joined the march and rally of hundreds of workers at Bath Iron Works (BIW) today here in Maine during their half-hour lunch break. Even though their union contract is good for another year the company (General Dynamics) boss Fred Harris is sabotaging the collective bargaining agreement and trying to force concessions that fall outside of the union contract. Things like outsourcing of jobs to non-union workers are among the several items in contention. Even though I often join a peace vigil at BIW calling for the conversion of the shipyard I still support the workers right to h... more »
Support the Workers
*BIW workers marched today during their lunch time in protest of company head Fred Harris who is attempting to circumvent the union contract in order to cut costs* I joined the march and rally of hundreds of workers at Bath Iron Works (BIW) today here in Maine during their half-hour lunch break. Even though their union contract is good for another year the company (General Dynamics) is sabotaging the collective bargaining agreement and trying to force concessions that fall outside of the union contract. Thing like outsourcing of jobs to non-union workers are among the several ite... more »
IPR and Medicines 33, Geneva Network's Forum in Singapore
Our friends and allies, Geneva Network (UK-based) and Southeast Asia Network for Development (SEANET, Malaysia-based) held a forum yesterday morning in Singapore on the TPP, Health and IPR. Background of the forum: *This week, trade negotiators from some of the world’s most powerful economies are meeting in Guam to thrash out the final stages of the Trans Pacific Partnership. This free trade agreement – which in Asia includes Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam and Brunei – stands to become a significant milestone in the deeper integration of the global economy.* *Despite the ... more »
"A Look to the Human Spirit"
"What are these humans doing? Dancing. Many humans on Earth exhibit periods of happiness, and one method of displaying happiness is dancing. Happiness and dancing transcend political boundaries and occur in practically every human society. Above, Matt Harding traveled through many nations on Earth, started dancing, and filmed the result. The video is perhaps a dramatic example that humans from all over planet Earth feel a common bond as part of a single species. Happiness is frequently contagious - few people are able to watch the above video without smiling." - http://apod.nasa.gov... more »
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